QUARTER BY QUARTER

Key play: Eagles tight end James Casey, alone in the flat, failed to hold a touchdown pass, forcing Philadelphia to kick a tying field goal.

Key stat: Philip Rivers was 7 of 7 for 72 yards.

Not in the box score: Forcing the Eagles to punt off their first possession, Jarius Wynn sacked Michael Vick on second down and Dwight Freeney hit Vick throwing on third down. Eagles edge rusher Connor Barwin beat rookie D.J. Fluker for a 6-yard sack – the only sack Rivers would take. Andrew Gachkar’s illegal block above the waist, during a kick return, forced the Chargers to start their second drive at their 7. Eagles speedster DeSean Jackson stepped out of Eric Weddle’s tackle try and was off for a 70-yard gain. The Chargers opened with a 25-yard gain, 10 on Ryan Mathews’ run around left end, 15 more on safety Nate Allen grabbing Mathews’ facemask.

Key stat: The Chargers went 92 yards on the touchdown drive that ended with a Rivers pass to Eddie Royal.

Not in the box score: Chargers rookie safety Jahleel Addae hammered running back Brye Brown, who’d caught a short pass on third-and-17. Cary Williams got caught tugging the jersey of Malcom Floyd for the first of three pass interference flags against the Eagles cornerback (one was declined). Gates, advancing 14 yards on second-and-10, broke a tackle by safety Patrick Chung. The Chargers seemed soon to add to their 13-10 lead when Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin came from behind to knock the ball from Gates at the 2. A side hit from linebacker Trent Cole caused Mathews’ fumble at the 6. The Eagles’ Alex Henery was wide right from 46 yards with his team down 13-10.

Third Quarter

Chargers 20, Eagles 20

Key play: Royal ran a pass route uncovered with eight Eagles in pass defense, and Rivers found him for a 24-yard TD on third-and-10.

Key stat: Rivers converted on third-and-long three times, fueling a TD drive to open the half.

Not in the box score: Floyd was down for several minutes, then taken to a hospital, after being crunched between two defenders on the quarter’s first snap. A flag wasn’t thrown, although Floyd may have been a “defenseless” receiver and was hit in the head. Two plays later, Floyd’s replacement, rookie Keenan Allen, beat Williams for 18 yards on third-and-8. It was Allen’s first NFL catch. Flagged for lining up too deep, Eagles rookie tackle Lane Johnson nullified a 37-yard TD pass and the drive ended with a field goal. Chung held Gates, giving the Chargers a first down on third-and-4 from their 18.

Fourth Quarter

Chargers 33, Eagles 30

Key play: Chargers defenders Wynn and Weddle knocked Vick and tight end Brent Celek from the game as part of a first-down incompletion at San Diego’s 14 with the Chargers ahead 30-27.

Key stat: Rivers was 5 of 6 for 49 yards on the winning drive, which covered 51 yards in nine plays and culminated with Nick Novak’s 46-yard field goal.

Not in the box score: Vick and Celek returned one play after leaving. But Freeney’s pressure and Marcus Gilchrist’s coverage caused a third-and-10 incompletion that forced a tying field goal, where seven points would’ve put the Chargers down four inside of two minutes. Earlier, Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness after Vick’s go-ahead TD run, forcing the Eagles to kick off from the 20. The Chargers’ Darrell Stuckey secured Fozzy Whittaker’s fumble off the ensuing kickoff return after Henery, the kicker, botched the recovery.